Air-Sea Battle

Here’s your chance to become an artillery commander, a submarine captain, or an aircraft bombardier. Just hit the fire button and shoot your way through 27 different shooting games and variations. Planes, boats, and other targets appear on-screen from different directions at different speeds. Shoot ‘em off your TV screen with guided missiles, torpedoes, and anti-aircraft guns.

About the Game

Air-Sea Battle is a great example of how diverse an Atari 2600 game can be, making it an ideal launch title. It’s also the ultimate game for people who enjoy blowing things up. Having a mode for all types of terrain for a target-worthy vehicle to travel on, in addition to a thorough versus modes, made Air-Sea Battle quickly become a favorite on the Atari console.

If there was an issue with the game, it was the fact that the computer had an inability to handle the guided missile option during single-player games. The Torpedo game (Game 11) was a far better mode that was quite similar to guided missiles. Although one variation may not have been up to snuff, there were more than enough that would fit any play style. In fact, the number of game variations was a large selling point for the game.

On the other hand, the vast number of options may have also been a reason that people didn’t play it. Sometimes, too many options can be overwhelming. Nonetheless, the cartridge was well received by the majority of Atari console owners. Despite a bit of a learning curve, the game kept players entertained for hours at a time.

Object of the Game

Score more points than your opponent by hitting moving objects.

How to Play

All games end after 2 minutes and 16 seconds of play, or when either player scores 99 points. During the last 16 seconds, the score will flash to show that the game is nearing its conclusion.

Anti-Aircraft Games

The joystick controller changes the angle of your “Anti-Aircraft Gun” and also the angle of missile flight in Guided Missile Games.

Forward = 30 degrees; center or rest = 60 degrees; back = 90 degrees (straight up).

During the Anti-Aircraft games, anywhere from one to six flying objects will move together across the playfield in a set. All objects in the set must be hit before a new set will appear. Each object hit results in one point.

Games 4 through 6 add a challenge to your marksmanship. There are various flying objects on the playfield travelling at different speeds and directions. Each object has a different score value.

Game 1

This is the Anti-Aircraft game described previously. Your missile travels at the same angle as your “Anti-Aircraft gun” at the time it is fired.

Game 2

In this game, you and an opponent have “guided” missiles. After firing, you control the angle of flight of your missile by moving your joystick controller from front to back.

Game 3

Using the right joystick controller, try to outscore the computer. Note that the computer continuously fires the left gun.

Game 4

In this game, your missile travels at the same angle as your gun was in at the time it is fired.

Game 5

Using guided missiles, try to outscore your opponent. After firing, you control the angle of flight of your missile by moving the joystick controller from front to back.

Game 6

Here’s another chance to defeat the computer. The right joystick controller serves as your gun, while the computer continuously fires the left gun.

Torpedo Games

You are a submarine captain firing torpedoes at ships moving above you. Push the joystick controller to the left to move your submarine to the left; push it to the right to move your submarine to the right.

You control half the playfield while your opponent controls the other half. During Torpedo Games, one to six ships move across the playfield in a set. When one set disappears from the playfield, a new set appears. Each ship scores one point.

In Torpedo games 10 through 12, mines travel randomly across the bottom of the playfield, acting as obstructions to your line of fire. The ships move at different speeds and directions. Each ship has a different point value.

Game 7

After firing, your torpedo travels straight up from where it was fired.

Game 8

In this game, you can guide your torpedo after firing. By pushing the joystick controller to the left, you guide the torpedo to the left. Moving the joystick to the right moves the torpedo to the right.

Game 9

Using non-guided torpedoes, the object is to try to sink more ships than the computer. You control the right submarine; the computer will fire continuously from the left.

Game 10

As in Game 7, your torpedo travels straight up from where it was fired.

Game 11

In this game, you can guide the torpedo after firing. By pushing the joystick controller to the left, you guide the torpedo to the left. Moving the joystick to the right guides the torpedo to the right.

Game 12

You control the right submarine with the right joystick controller and, using non-guided torpedoes, try to defeat the computer-controlled left submarine.

Shooting Gallery Games

The joystick controller changes the angle of fire: forward = 30 degrees; center or rest = 60 degrees; back = 90 degrees (straight up). In addition, you can move your gun across your half of the playfield by moving the joystick controller left or right.

The targets will change direction at any time and all targets in a set must be hit before new targets are displayed. Each target has a different point value.

Game 13

This is the Shooting Gallery Game described previously. After firing, your joystick controller has no effect on the line of fire.

Game 14

After firing, guide your projectile into the targets by moving the joystick controller forward or backward. Moving the joystick right or left has no effect on the projectile once it is fired.

Game 15

You control the right gun and try to beat the computer-controlled left gun which fires continuously.

Polaris Games

In the following games (Polaris, Bomber, Polaris vs. Bomber), you control the speed by moving the joystick controller back for slow, center (or rest position) for normal speed, and forward for fast.

You captain a ship traveling across the bottom of the playfield. The bottommost ship is the right player. The ships will occasionally change direction.

Anywhere from one to four planes fly over in a set. All planes in a set must be hit before new planes are displayed. Each plane has a different point value.

Game 16

This is the Polaris game described previously. Your missile travels at the same speed as your ship when the missile was fired. After firing, your ship speed cannot change while the missile is in flight.

Game 17

In this game, when you change the speed of your ship, you also change the speed of the missile while it is in flight. In effect, you can guide the missile into the planes.

Game 18

Using the right joystick controller, you control the bottom ship. Using non-guided missiles, try to beat the computer-controlled top ship. The computer ship will move at a steady speed and continuously fire its missiles.

Bomber Games

You are the pilot of a plane flying across the top of the playfield. The right player controls the bottommost plane. Planes will occasionally change direction from right to left.

From one to four ships will pass underneath the planes. When a ship is hit, a new ship will replace it from the edge of the playfield. Ships travel at various speeds and each ship has a different point value.

Game 19

When your bomber drops the bomb, it will move across the playfield at the same speed as your plane at the time it was dropped. After firing, your plane cannot change speed while the bomb is dropping.

Game 20

Changing the speed of your plane after dropping a bomb will change the speed at which the bomb travels across the playfield as it drops. This allows you to guide the bomb into the passing ships.

Game 21

Using non-guided bombs, try to hit more ships than the computer. The computer plane is on top and flies at a constant speed across the playfield, dropping bombs continuously. You control the bottom plane using the right joystick controller.

Polaris Vs Bomber Games

One point is scored for each hit. The ship or plane getting hit will disappear from the playfield and reappear at the edge. Both the plane and ship will occasionally change direction.

The left player flies the plane across the top of the playfield and the right player controls the ship at the bottom of the playfield. The plane drops bombs on the ship, while the ship shoots missiles at the plane.

During the game, mines will randomly travel across the middle of the playfield. In order to hit your opponent, you must avoid the mines which act as obstructions to your line of fire.

Game 22

This is the Polaris vs Bomber game described previously.

Game 23

Both the ship and the plane can guide their missiles or bombs. By changing the speed of your ship or plane after firing, the missile or bomb will change speed as it travels across the playfield.

Game 24

The computer controls the plane, flying at a constant speed across the playfield, dropping bombs continuously. The right joystick controller controls the ship.

Game 25

This version plays the same as Game 22, except that mines are added to the playfield.

Game 26

By changing the speed of your ship or plane after firing, the missile or bomb will change speed as it travels across the playfield, allowing you to guide them around the mines and into your opponent.

Game 27

Once again, the computer controls the plane. You control the ship using the right joystick controller.

Game Difficulty

The Difficulty buttons on the console control the size of the missile. In Position A, the missile is one-fourth the size compared to the size of the missile while in position B.

Game Options

number of Players

In 2-player games, you and an opponent face off against each other. In 1-player games, the computer is your opponent. In Anti-Aircraft, Torpedo, and Shooting Gallery, the computer always controls the left side. For Bomber, the computer controls the higher plane. In Polaris vs. Bomber, the computer controls the Bomber in game 24 and the Polaris in game 27.

Features

Guided Missile (GM)

Guided Missiles allow you to control the angle of flight of your missile by moving the joystick controller in different directions, depending on the game type.

With Obstacles (WO)

Obstacles appear in only two of the five game types. In Anti-Aircraft, observation blimps float across the lowest level of the playing field. They are worth no points when shot down. Mines float through the middle of the playfield in Polaris vs. Bomber. Mines block your shots and are worth no points.

Scoring

Anti-Aircraft (Games 4-6)

The “Observation Blimps” flying randomly across the bottom of the playfield are not worth any points. They only serve as an obstruction to your line of fire.

Shooting Gallery Games

Bomber Games

Torpedo (Games 10-12)

Hitting the mines results in no points.

Polaris Games